Project Overview

In October of 2022, we were honoured to be commissioned by Prime Video to deliver a drone display to celebrate Prime’s incredible series finale of Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power. This show launch also coincided with the official launch of Prime Video in Nigeria and they wanted Celestial to mark the occasion.
 

As a bunch of Tolkien fans, we embraced this challenge, enthusiastic about creating a unique sight for one of the most famous global brands. We were also thrilled to be producing West Africa’s first-ever drone show in what would be a historic occasion.

And so it was that 500 drones ascended to the skies during a ground-breaking 200 metre wide and 8-minute phenomenon to a crowd of celebrities, influencers and VIPs in Lagos, Nigeria.  

The Rings of Power drone display was an incredible achievement and marked a moment of true innovation in Nigeria.

 

 

The Process

In our Frome HQ, our animation team perfected the flight pattern for our drones. We designed our flight imagery to perfectly compliment the soundtrack – taken from the The Rings Of Power show. The most breathtaking moment for us was seeing the LOTR font come to life above us – in the iconic Tolkien font.

To create a sensational buzz surrounding the season finale of Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power, we envisioned a canvas that was larger than anything we had done before. We knew it had to have massive impact given the crowd and importance of the spectacle.

We worked on a scale that was designed to impress. Our 500 drones created a 200m wide screen amongst the stars, championing the brands’ logos with an 8-minute long display and dazzling the 300 people audience below. 
 
The Ops team put in a super-human effort to get the show tested and prepped in time, during the middle of the summer heat wave.
 
We worked closely with our Nigerian delivery partner, Arco, and prepared for our exclusive VIP event. An enormous launch platform was custom built especially for Celestial to launch our largest-scale drone show to date.
 
The team captured incredible cinematic shots of the crowd’s reaction and the spectacular sight of the iconic Lord of the Rings typeface soaring above Eko Atlantic City.
 
 
Rings of Power Drone show
PRime Video Nigeria Drone Show

“To design West Africa’s first ever drone show was an honour for Celestial and another ground breaking chapter in the history of our company. Over that, to be involved in the biggest TV show in history, as Tolkien fans, was a true privilege.”
- John Hopkins, Celestial co-founder.

Final thoughts and thanks

Working in uncharted territory is always challenging; however, the Celestial team put on an incredible drone display that we are incredibly proud of. It was another colossal effort from everyone involved and we are extremely grateful of the team’s dedication, creativity and hard work to get the job done.

Celestial is proud to have collaborated with one of the biggest brands in the world, Prime Video, and to have produced the first drone show in Nigerian history. In addition, we are super grateful to our delivery partner, Arco, for helping us get the production delivered. 

 

Working with such a high-profile, prestigious company and designing work surrounding an enormous creative estate was a privilege. We are less than two years old and unbelievably proud of how far we have come.

Celestial Team Setting Up The Drone Show In Nigeria
Celestial Team Set Up for Drone Show

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